ASHLAND Ore. (KPTV) - ODOT will build the first wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 between Mexico and Canada with a federal grant of $33.2 million, the Federal Highway Administration announced Friday.

The wildlife overpass will be built just north of the California border and within the Mariposa Preserve, which is part of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, ODOT said.

The $33,182,188 total grant will also allow for fencing to be built that will funnel wildlife to and across the structure.

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"With this significant investment of federal funding, ODOT can now provide a new connection for wildlife in an ecologically diverse area," said ODOT director Kris Strickler. "This will improve safety for drivers on I-5 by reducing wildlife collisions."

According to ODOT, the average cost of a crash with a deer is $9,000, and $24,000 with an elk. Oregon currently has six wildlife under-crossings, with five under U.S. 97 and one under U.S. 20, which have led to an 86% decrease in crashes.

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden also released a statement about the grant.

"Ensuring that native species have safe access across I-5 not only protects sensitive ecosystems affected by large roadways, but it also helps increase safety for motorists," Wyden said. "This investment in wildlife crossing infrastructure ... serves both the environment and Oregonians."

ODOT said they worked with the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition, which is a group of government, nonprofit and tribal partners to develop the wildlife crossing plan.